Black Butler: A New Demon In Town
by Tower of Babel
Summary: When a new demon suddenly introduces itself as the Phantomhive's butler, much to Sebastian's chagrin, Sebastian must break the illusion the demon has over his master's or risk losing their souls forever to an upstart. Continues from my second novel.
1. Chapter 1

_**CHAPTER ONE**_

It was one of those days when being Earl Phantomhive and CEO of a large company like _Funtom Co_. had its drawbacks, especially for a thirteen year old boy. The responsibilities he had undertaken since the death of Vincent and Rachel Phantomhive were enormous to say the least. But Ciel Phantomhive was glad to have the help of his family and trusted butler when needed.

The pressure of running _Funtom Co_. was tiresome alone, but with Lukas, Renfrew and Sebastian, there was a great deal of weight lifted off his shoulders, and he could trust each one to help. Besides, if you could not trust family, then who else could you trust?

But Lukas appeared to be the one with the most business sense in the family. Whatever ventures he acquired, any social engagement he undertook for _Funtom Co_., it always turned out to be a huge success. He had their father's business suave. If clients could not come to Lukas, then he would go to them. Lukas was also only thirteen years old—he and Ciel were fraternal twins—but age had nothing to do with smarts, and Lukas was vastly intelligent when it came to making money, and he was well respected, even to Ciel's older clientele. Once Lukas was established, no one was afraid to deal with him.

Unfortunately, when it came to social elitists, Ciel was the one with the power. He was the head of the family. This brought about, but not so much as Ciel was best renown as once the last survivor to the Phantomhive name at one point—before Lukas and Renfrew joined the fray—but he had also "won" the right to remain head of the family by way of a recent fencing match in a brother versus brother match.

In this challenge, Ciel won when he defeated Lukas fairly by drawing first blood. And he out smarted Lukas when it was learned Lukas had the aid of Sebastian's twin son's Braydon and Brandon, and to win the deal for a Pound—a Gentleman's bet, indeed. But it was also revealed Lukas had no intention of becoming head of the family and only went along with the match because of some jealous rivalry of Ciel's, which Ciel flatly denied.

At present, Lukas was in town building the _Funtom Co_. name further, Renfrew was hanging out with his cat Vincent somewhere in the Mansion, but resulting from all his tiresome thoughts Ciel had decided to take a relaxing bath. And Sebastian had drawn him one in his private bath chambers.

Alone, Ciel eased himself into the warm water, closed his eyes, and signed. At one point, he thought he would have to take on the world alone. He was glad that he had family now to do all that work for him. It was a selfish thought, but true in so much regard.

Suddenly, came a familiar sound… _Meoow!_

Ciel snapped his eyes open sharply and suddenly he saw Vincent sitting on the edge of the Victorian bathtub without so much trouble, the cat's tail twitching back and forth like a balanced pendulum. Vincent was a ghost cat, so Ciel's allergy of cats was unaffected. So many years ago, Vincent died and followed his master, Renfrew, into the afterlife. A century and a half later, he was again at Renfrew's side.

Renfrew's spirit now called home to a deceased young ten year boy named Johnny Lazarus, who was killed when Sebastian murdered the Inner Circle and all the children meant to be a blood sacrifice for a demon, at Ciel's command. After they made a pact, only Ciel and Sebastian left the mini, secretive amphitheatre alive, leaving countless bodies slaughtered in his wake and countless souls devoured.

From then, and now three years later, villains abound and enemies vengeance upon, the Phantomhive household was again a family. Although, one man—Byron Kelvin—the so-called architect behind Ciel's sacrifice to a demon and the destruction of his family for his own personal selfish reasons, and Lukas's kidnapping years prior (turned into an assassin, his face altered to look like Ciel's to replace him), things had calmed down somewhat. Except for the occasional demon out for revenge and a Fallen Reaper bent on universal carnage, it was all well.

Ciel didn't particularly like Vincent and loathed how this ghost cat had the same name of his deceased father, but apparently the name was given to him long before Vincent Phantomhive's father was born. So Ciel had no recourse but to accept it. Vincent and Renfrew were attuned beyond this world and the spirit one, and Renfrew had a special power to communicate with spirits even in the body of Johnny Lazarus. It was crazy to think that Renfrew's cat would find him all this time, but Ciel had a demon butler so nothing was surreal anymore.

"What are you looking at?" Ciel demanded.

But the cat just sat there and meowed again.

It looked at the water. Normally cats had a strong dislike for water, but for a ghost cat, Vincent didn't fear anything. This made him quite annoying when Ciel wanted him gone; even Sebastian found Vincent quite obnoxious at times, and Sebastian liked cats. Vincent was a feline with a lot of curiosity, and when Vincent was interested in something, he did not leave until he became bored of it.

"_Shoo_!" Ciel flicked his hand at Vincent, splashing some water his way. The water passed through the cat, Vincent had the ability to turn transparent at a whim. Vincent could also walk through solid walls, which made it very difficult, if not impossible, to barricade oneself in a bathroom alone. Vincent often found the command "No!" a word unheard-of. "Get out of here, you annoying little _pest_!"

With that demand, Vincent appeared to obey and dropped down to the floor. Ciel looked over the tub to see where Vincent had gone. And then he gasped when he saw the dead mouse on the floor.

"Where the hell did you get that? And why the hell would you bring it here?" Ciel demanded.

Vincent was an excellent mouse-chaser. In fact, ever since the cat had arrived at the Mansion, once infested with mice—chewing wires and getting into the food supplies—not one mouse had been seen, other than dead ones. Despite Ciel's annoyance with Vincent, he was pleased with the de-mousing. But often the feline would offer a mouse to Ciel as a gift of friendship, or this was Renfrew's reasoning, as Vinent wanted Ciel to like him. And he tried often. Leaving dead mice on Ciel's office desk, in his bedroom, and once even on the dining room table—and each time, it disgusted him, like now.

Cat's often took pride in their chases and gave them to their master's for praise. But Ciel was not Vincent's master, and nor did he want Vincent's "gift". And one so oozing blood and guts from its belly.

"How dare you! Get that filthy vermin out of my private bathroom! You're contaminating the floor!"

Vincent picked up the dead mouse, looked up at Ciel, and then for the life of it, jumped up with the vermin in its mouth on the edge of the tub. Ciel instinctively backed away, water splashing over the side behind him in waves. And Vincent looked at him, and then at the water.

Ciel gasped. "Don't you dare, Vincent," he said. "I know what you're thinking! And a dead mouse is _not_ a water toy!"

But, seemingly, the command was _unheard_, and Vincent dropped it into the water, as a "gift".

And Ciel screamed blood-murder.

_**To be continued…**_


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Chronologically, Renfrew Phantomhive was over a century and half years old, but physically he was just ten, in the body of Johnny Lazarus—a young boy whom his spirit had taken possession of when a demon left the young boy's body in a graveyard after using it for a nefarious but unsuccessful purpose.

And after all that time being a spirit in a world that moved-on without him, Renfrew found it a delight to be back in the pleasure of being a kid again, and in such, having fun playing in a sandbox Sebastian had made for him in the back courtyard.

It had been a spur of the moment idea by Sebastian when Renfrew was found making a castle of mud in the courtyard one day after a heavy rainfall—a thing a kid did. After a 150 years, Renfrew had experienced countless things in his time that should've made him "grow-up" a little and building castles in mud was one thing that he should have grown out of, but he didn't care. He was still a kid.

He had died a kid when he accidentally killed himself with his father's gun when attempting to convey to his father to treat him better after countless periods of physical and emotional abuse, and now again in being a kid—or in the body of one—so why not do what kids do?

Sebastian stood watching with curiosity as Renfrew built a rudimentary but interesting representation of the Royal Palace, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the head of the Great Sphinx of Egypt. But in order for the sand not to crumble, the sand structures had to remain intact, and with a little demon magic, each one remained together with burned sand turned into glass crystal by fire.

"Quite extraordinary, Master Renfrew, that you are able to build each from memory," Sebastian said. "Did you actually visit Italy and Egypt while you were a spirit?"

"I did, I visited the world to fend off boredom," Renny—a nickname Lukas had give him—said. "I also saw other spirits wallow in their own self pity because they could not cross-over, trapped between words for all eternity, and I didn't want to be like that. So I visited the world and saw a lot of interesting things."

Sebastian took a closer look at the head of the Great Sphinx. Only recently within the past fifty years had the Great Sphinx's body been unearthed after centuries of being buried under sand. "So, this is what the Sphinx looked like when you visited Egypt…merely a head peaking out of the sands of time. You are quite a sculptor, Master Renfrew. So much detail. And I have noticed you have taken up painting, as well. Your room is adored with canvases."

"Yes, I like art. But I still have so much more to learn. I am no longer immortal, and in his new body I will grow old and then eventually die, but I wish to experience a great deal more before my time comes."

"And you will, Master Renfrew. You are quite intelligent. Would you like me to show you how London appeared before modern times?"

"I would like to see that." Renfrew looked around. "But I have used up most of the sand."

"No need to worry." Sebastian turned, and then waved a hand across a barren piece of ground adjacent to the sandbox, and suddenly the ground began to quake slightly and structures began to emerge and erect themselves, building a small village-like town. When the moderate cityscape settled next to a body of water, that doubled as the River Thames, the duo stepped next to it. "This is what London appeared like just before the fire that destroyed it in 1666."

"The fire your son Decco started at the bakery in Puddling Lane, right?"

"Correct, along with two of his demon cohorts," Sebastian said, "which then began a chain of events that lead me to becoming the Phantomhive butler. But I didn't know he was my son at the time, we were long time rivals. And the events that transpired over the years is known as a time paradox. Decco was born in 1671, but he was stolen by Morning Star and taken back centuries in time and trained to become a minion. But Decco grew arrogant, belligerent, disrespectful and cocky, and attempted to overthrow Morning Star. We fought many times over the years."

"I am glad he was stopped. Do you think his body is one of those still buried under mounds of ash and lava in the remains of ancient Pompeii where you sent him in punishment for his transgressions?"

"One only hopes, Master Renfrew."

"What do you mean? Do you suspect something else may have occurred?"

"Demons are notorious survivors," Sebastian said, "and those with great power, like my son, always find a way to survive even the slimmest of odds through their own pain and strife. However, I did take his powers away from him when I sent him back through time to the place of _my_ birth. How fitting it was to leave Decco to die in the very place of my rebirth in becoming a demon."

"That's good," Renfrew said with a relieving grin. "I would hate to see him again. He was dangerous."

"Indeed, and he would have destroyed the very fabric of time if he had been allowed to succeed in his plan to usurp Morning Star as ruler of Hell."

Suddenly Sebastian snapped his head back towards the Mansion, as if he heard something not audible to Renfrew's ears. But somehow Renfrew also _felt_ a disturbance, and also looked sharply towards the house. Even though Renfrew's spirit was anchored to a human body, he still kept a strange channeling ability with the otherworld, and that even meant events involving Vincent, his pet ghost cat.

"Master Ciel?" Sebastian said. "I heard a scream."

Renfrew signed annoyed. "What trouble has Vincent and cousin Ciel gotten into now?"

_**To be continued…**_


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

Sebastian crashed through the window of Ciel's private bathroom, leaping from ground level. The window frame broke and glass shattered everywhere.

"Master Ciel! What is the matter?" the butler asked, landing with perfect footing on the bathroom floor.

Ceil was standing away from the bathtub with a towel around his waist, closer to the back wall. Sebastian's eye momentarily caught a glimpse of Vincent before he vanished through a near-by wall, like a ghost fleeting in the middle of the night.

"It's in the tub! It's in the tub! That disturbing thing is in the tub!"

Sebastian leaned over the bathtub that was half-full. Water covered the floor mixing with the recent shattered glass and some blood. But it was not Ciel's blood. "Remain where you are, my lord," Sebastian said. "You do not want to cut yourself on the glass from the window." And then he saw it. A dead mouse floating in the water of the bathtub.

"Say nothing of your dramatic entrance, Sebastian," Ciel said unimpressed. "Just remove it!"

Sebastian reached in and plucked it from the water. Its blood mixed with it and its partially eaten belly fell out as he raised it, plopping back into the water. "A mouse, a dead mouse," he said matter-of-factly. He didn't need an explanation of how it got here. It was obvious, after witnessing Vincent flee.

Renfrew suddenly knocked on the door, or rather hit it—forgetting lastly of his now human form. Sometimes he forgot he could not rush through solid walls anymore, whereas once a spirit he could. "Ouch! Open the door, Cousin Ciel." Ciel opened the door with a forceful yank and Renfrew stood at the threshold rubbing his face. He had hit the door head on. "Cousin Ciel, are you all right? I ran up here as soon as I could. I do not have the leaping abilities of a demon."

Then he saw Sebastian holding up the carcass of a dead mouse, soaking wet. Vincent suddenly appeared beside him, and turned solid. He meowed softly. Renfrew looked down at him miffed. "Vincent! _Another gift_ to Cousin Ciel?" he said.

The cat suddenly looked cowardly with its ears down and face and body slumped. Renfrew never normally got angry with Vincent—he knew a cat was a cat that they did silly things sometimes-but Vincent's gifts to Ciel were getting out of hand as of recent. They had been finding dead mice everywhere Ciel frequented, as if "_Look at what I did, praise me!_"

"Get that thing out of here!" Ciel demanded, pointing at the mouse.

"Certainly sir," Sebastian said, and flung it out the window; it erupted into a quick ball of flame and disintegrating into falling ash. Suddenly the window reordered itself via Sebastian's demon magic and was restored to its normal shape and beauty, the glass collected from the floor. Sebastian dusted off his gloves from any mouse residue and grime.

"Vincent, I told you _no more gifts_! Cousin Ciel doesn't want them," Renfrew said. Vincent tried to slink away, even fade away. "Vincent!" he said more strongly. And Vincent quickly vanished.

Ciel eyed the place where Vincent had been. "That cat is a nuisance," he remarked.

"I admit; he can be a little bit of a handful. But he's always been that way." Renfrew looked at Ciel. "But he honestly didn't mean to scare you. All he wants is to be friends. But you continue to push him away."

"I don't _care_ what that feline wants!"

"Stop shouting," Renfrew demanded. "You sound just like my father did!" Ciel went wide-eyed, almost in shock. "My father would always shout at me and Vincent too when he got angry."

Ciel's demeanor softened, but only slightly. "I do not wish to be like your father, Renny. But as long as you reside at the Mansion, you will abide by the rules and its standards of conduct."

"What are you saying, Cousin?"

"I am saying, get rid of that cat, or remove yourself from the Mansion—Vincent will follow you."

Sebastian gasped. "Sir, you don't mean that? Perhaps Vincent can be trained?"

"I certainly do! And have you ever known a cat to listen any instruction? Cats have a mind of their own."

Renfrew's eyes widened at Ciel's words. "An ultimatum," he said. "Well, if those are my choices—living here with your sadistic, narcissist attitude, or living on the street with Vincent, then _to hell with your Ciel Phantomhive_! I thought you were different, unlike the rest. But you _are_ like my father in every way!"

Sebastian held up his hands. "Wait, young master's. Do not be hasty here. Vincent is a most extraordinary feline, one certainly in need of getting used to with his unusual traits." He scratched his chin; he couldn't believe he was defending the cat. "But this bickering is unnecessary. We can broker a divide here."

"So you are taking _his side_ then, Sebastian?" Ciel said.

"No, my lord," Sebastian said. "It's just—it would not be wise to send a ten year old boy out into the world to wander alone. Master Renfrew is human now, no longer a spirit and he needs guidance."

"I can handle myself, Sebastian. I don't need this…this… _baudet!_"

Ciel gasped. "Did he…did he just call me what I think he did?"

"Yes sir, he just called you a donkey, in French," Sebastian explained, "or, in other words, an ass."

"It was the only thing I could think of, at the moment," Renfrew said, a little unsure with the word. "But you _are_ acting like ass, Cousin Ciel. Vincent just wants to be friends with you."

"Hold your tongue, Renny!" Ciel retorted.

The next three words out of Renfrew's mouth shocked the pair. It started with "Go" and ended with "yourself!"

Sebastian gasped. "My lord, Master Renfrew… Where on earth did you learn such foul language?"

"From the bowls of nothingness, I imagine," Ciel spoke. "When he was a ghost, observing the lowly life forms that reside in London's underbelly, the ragtum of society corrupted him. He has the body of a ten year old, seen, but the mouth of a sour, drunkard bastard."

Normally this kind of fit-on-fit wordplay and argumentative scene would play out between Lukas and Ciel, but Sebastian never would have expected this from Renfrew of all people. Vulgar language of the like is reserved for the lower classes, not the elite. But Renfrew had, no doubt, been to _many_ places in his time as a ghost, and may have, albeit unconsciously, picked up some nasty things watching "degenerate people". Now that language was coming out of his mouth in pure anger and hatred. It was said the only two ways "real truth" comes from someone is either when they are truly angry or they are drunk, both create an inhabitation that brings out a person's true feelings from within, once hidden.

"Please, let us talk with cool heads," Sebastian said, standing between them. "A little time apart may be best for all." He was a butler, not a referee.

"I agree," Renfrew said. "I'm leaving in the morning with Vincent."

"That's not what I meant, Master Renfrew."

"As soon as you step outside this Mansion, your Phantomhive status and all privileges are annulled, you will be disowned!" Ciel said angrily. "You may be my senior by a century and half, in spirit, but I am head of this household, now. And you _will_ adhere to my orders!"

Sebastian had never known even _he_ to gasp so many times in a short period, but he found himself doing it was more time, and he had had just about enough of this foolishness.

Ciel took a step forward-and this action within Vincent's limited thoughts, the cat must have been considered it a motion to attack Renfrew—the cat suddenly reappeared, and lunged forward to protect his master, and sunk his teeth into Ciel's right foot—the one he stepped forward on.

Ciel screamed bloody-murder and pain. Renfrew shouted to Vincent to let go!

Vincent did what Renfrew ordered and returned to Renfrew's side. "He thought you were going to attack me, like my father often did. Vincent bit my father a couple of times, too."

Ciel dropped to the floor holding his foot, his teeth clenched in pain. A sizable, deep set of teeth marks in his skin, beginning to bleed out. Sebastian immediately went to Ciel's side and waved a hand over the wound and relieved both the pain and began the healing process of cell restoration.

The butler snapped a look at Renfrew and Renfrew took a mental step back. Suddenly, a strange and surprising grin appeared on the demon's face. "Now, I would say this is enough—the both of you. The way you two are acting…" Sebastian sighed. "That analogy will not work," as if speaking to himself," you two _are _children, and as such, you will act like children no matter what I say. Therefore, I shall treat you like children. I hereby send you to your rooms under dinner."

"Don't be absurd, Sebastian!" Ciel retorted.

"Be lucky I called Vincent off," Renfrew said defiantly. "He can do a lot more damage than that." And Renfrew turned and left the room.

Ciel eyed Renfrew leaving with distain. "Things were better without them," Ciel then said, "you and me."

"But you now have long lost family, whereas you thought you were the last Phantomhive," Sebastian said. "In my time, even being a demon, I have found family is to be cherished. What about Master Lukas? He is your fraternal twin brother and he is quite a suave businessman, I may add."

"He has the business sense of our father, nothing more. A generic trait, like me." Ciel got to his feet. He looked at the bathtub, and felt more stressed now than when he first stepped into the warm waters it contained. "I will never again be able to take a bath without thinking of that dead mouse."

Ciel then walked away.

_**To be continued...**_


End file.
